1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feces collection container to collect feces as a sample.
2. Description of the Related Art
A container to collect feces as a sample is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-11-64331.
This container includes a suspension storage container storing a suspension and a sample collecting member capable of sealing the suspension storage container. The container is configured to seal the suspension hermetically by inserting the sample collecting member into the suspension storage container to seal the suspension storage container while dispersing feces adhering to the tip end of the sample collecting member in the suspension.
The suspension storage container is a cylindrical container in which one end portion in the longitudinal direction is open so as to be attachable to/detachable from the sample collecting member and the bottom portion is formed by welding a sealing film to the other end portion. During an inspection, the suspension storage container is positioned with the sealing film up, and the suspension is extracted through the nozzle of an inspection system inserted into the suspension storage container by penetrating through the sealing film.
Further, the suspension storage container includes an identification label (attached to the container at the time of manufacturing) laminated on the outer peripheral surface, and according to this label, the name, the sex, and so forth of the subject are specified for the feces collection container. Regarding the lamination of the label, there have been requests for the suspension storage container to secure an area large enough for the subject to write his name and so forth on the label and to make it easier to laminate a label with a bar code issued separately in the hospital or the like on the container besides the identification label. To address these requests, the suspension storage container is formed to have a flat cross-sectional shape.
However, because the suspension storage container of the feces collection container is formed to be flat, in a case where it is transported to the inspection facility or the like, the bottom portion made by welding the sealing film may possibly break when an external force is applied thereon in the minor axis direction. Should it break, the nozzle may not be inserted in a satisfactory manner.
Also, in order to ensure accurate insertion of the nozzle, it is necessary to set the dimension of the flat cross section in the minor axis direction equal to or larger than a specific dimension. However, to form the suspension storage container to be flat to address the requests for the label, the dimension in the major axis direction has to be increased further than in the dimension in the minor axis direction (that is, it has to be set to a dimension larger than the dimension needed to secure the insertion of the nozzle). The sectional area of the container therefore becomes correspondingly larger.
Meanwhile, because the sample collection portion and the nozzle are inserted into the suspension storage container in the axial direction thereof, the suspension has to be present over a sufficiently long region in the axial direction (a certain level has to be ensured as the water level of the suspension). This correspondingly increases a necessary quantity of the filled suspension when the sectional area of the container is increased for the reasons described above, and an extra expense is added to the cost.
The invention was devised in view of the problems discussed above, and therefore has an object to form a suspension storage container in a flat shape for the label to be laminated thereon with ease, and yet to achieve an enhancement of the strength in a direction orthogonal to the major axis direction of the flat cross section and a reduction of a necessary quantity of the suspension.